Door arrangement for dump-cars.



H. ASPER.

DOOR ARRANGEMENT FOR DUMP CARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21, 1910.

Patented Oct. 28, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESS E S H. ASPER.

DOOR ARRANGEMENT FOR DUMP CARS 3 1 9 1 00 2 Lb C 0 d 2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

VENT is a plan view showing a portion of the ear bottom with my invention applied thereto;

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ZDOQR ARRANGEMENT EUR IJUMP-CAE$ 1 LWZ tidddtl.

Specification of Letters Ea'tenlt.

daten'ted tint. 238, 1913..

Application filed April 21, 1910. Serial No. 556,701.

Allegheny :and'State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Door Arinngements for Dump (Jars, of which the :lollowingis a specification.

This invention relates to door operating mechanism for railway cars, and more espe cially to mechanism for operating horizonat drop doors for gondola and similar cars.

The invention relates to that type of door operatingmechanism wherein the door is held in closed position by leans independent ot'jthe liftmg connect on so as to reli'eve the latter from heavy strains.

The object of the invention is to simplify this typeof door and door operating mechanism and to render the same easier to operate than with prior mechanisms of the same general type.

This invention comprises, generally stated, a lifting shaft connected to a bodily movable door, and inter-engaging connec' tions between the shaft and door whereby as the door approaches the limit of its closing movement it is bodily moved to bring its edge portion above the lifting shaft or means connected therewith, so as to derive support from said shaft.

in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 Fig. 2 is a side view of the door and door operating mechanism; Fi 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 8-3, Fig. 1; Fig. 4: is a cross section through the car and door showing the door in closed position; Fig. 5

is a similar view showing the door during the first stages of its opening movement;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the door open; Fig. 7 is a detail view showing means for operating; the lifting shaft; and Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view indicating a modification.

The drawings show a portion of an all metal gondola ear provided with drop doors and to which the invention is applied but it is obvious that the invention can be applied to various forms of cars. Only a'small portion of the car frame is shown, the illustrated portion including center sill 1, cross bearers or transoms 2, a portion of the car side 3, provided-with a lower chord in the form of a vZ-bar 4, and stakes 5.. As illustrated,lthe (enter sills are covered by longidoor openings. The edges of the plates '6 supporting the door upon brackets 12 se tudinal plate 6, and the cross. bearers or transoms by plates 7 extending outwardly to the Z-bar 4, f-thus providing rectangular and 7 are turned downwardly somewhat as shown. at 8 and 9 respectively, to a depth correspoinling to the "inner v tlCi-tl flange 10 of the Z-bar 4:, thereby forming shallow pockets at the door openings.

11* on the fourth edge to strengthen the same. T he inner edge of the door 1s mounted so that it. is practically pivoted o hinged but so as to permit its bodily movement. This is accomplished by cured to the center sill and projecting outwardly and then turned upwardly and. carrying the door supporting rollers 13 in order to reduce triction.

The inner flange 14 of the door serves as a stop to prevent the door losing pulled on tirely oil the supporting rollers'andis curved to conform to the contour of the rollers 13. "Wear plates 15 are preferably provided :lor contact with the rollers 13. snidplates being riveted to the door and havin their inner ends eurved downwardly, as shown, to con-- form to the contour of the flange 1 1 and rollers 13. Said wear plates are provided with -ribs 16 at the ends oil the rollers to serve as guides and prevent side motion of the door.

Located underneath the web of Z-bar 4 is the lifting shaft 17 which may be connected to the outer edge otthe door by any 9 suitable means capable of raising the outer edge of the door when the shaft is rotated in the proper direction. This lifting means is shown as a chain or chains 18, one such chain being shown, but obviously any greater number may be employed. The outer end of this'ehain is secured and adapted to wind on a spool 19 on the shaft 17, T and its inner end is adjustably secured to the door. The connection shown comprises a casting 2O riveted to the door and having a web or flange 21 provided with an opening through which extends a threaded eye bolt 22 on the end of chain 18, said eye bolt re ceiving adjusting nuts 23 on opposite sides of the flange or web 21. Qutside of the connectioniofthechain to the casting 20 said it t casting is provided with a downwardly projecting portion 24 which extends below the point of connection of the chain with said casting and which is adapted to abut against the chain and serve as a strut to insure the outer edge of the door being lifted sufficient-1y high in case the chain should show any tendency to sag.

The means for bodily moving the door to bring its upper edge above the winding shaft so as to receive support therefrom comprises one or more gears 26 secured to the shaft and arranged to engage toothed segments 27 secured to the lower face of the door at the outer edge thereof, said toothed segments being so formed that when the door approaches the limit of its closing movement the teeth of said segments interengage with the teeth of gears 26 so that in the further rotation of the gears 26 the outer edge of the door is lifted to closed position and the door dawn bodily outwardly from the ptsition shown in Fig. to that shown in Fig. 4, so that the door in its closed position is supported directly by the shaft 17. Preferably the point of supporting contact between the segments 27 and the gears 26 when the door is fully closed is not directly above the center of shaft 17, but somewhat inside the same, such as at 28, Fig. 4, there by giving a slight lever arm upon which the veight of the door and load acts and tending to rotate shaft 17 to permit the doors to open. This lever arm can be so proportioned that the weight on the door acting thereon will practically overcome or balance the frietional resistance to the bodily movement of the door, so that in opening the door no great amount of power need be applied to the winding shaft. Preferably the pitch line 29 of the spool 19 on which the chain 18 winds is slightly less in diameter than the pitch line 29*- (Fig. 6) of gears 26, so that in the final closing movement of the door, that is, during the time that the gears and toothed segments inter-engage the chain will be slightly slackened, thereby entirely relieving the same of strain and also preventing binding of the parts, as would otherwise occur in case the chain was wound on a spool whose pitch line was slightly larger than the pitch line of the gears 26.

To hold the shaft 17 against accidental backward rotation when the doors are closed, any suitable means may be employed, such as shown in Fig. 7, where said shaft is shown as prmride with a ratchet wheel 30 which is engaged by pivoted locking dog or pawl 31. This figure also shows one means for rotating said shaft, such means coinprising a lever 82, provided with a reversible pawl 33 for engaging the ratchet wheel 3050 that thereby the shaft may be positively rotated in either direction. Shaft 17 is mounted in bearings 35, said bearings bel t l l I l l ing formed directly in castings 36, which serve as connectors between the under frame and car sides, being shown as riveted to the outer ends of the cross bearers or transoms 2, and the web of the Z-bar 1, and in turn having the lower ends of the stakes riveted to their outer edges. Some connector) is essential. for uniting the under frame and car sides, and by forming this connection as a casting which is rovided with bearings for the winding shaft the structure is .materially simplified and cheapened, making it unnecessary to provide separate bearings for the winding shaft.

The toothed segments 27 preferably will be so formed that the outer edge of the door is lifted into tight engagement with the lower edge of the flange 10 of the Z-bar t at the door opening, so as to prevent the escape of fine lading at this point. At the inner edge of the door it is advisable to leave a slight clearance between the door and the lower edges of the door opening flange 8, but

this need be only very slight. If it is de sired to have an absolutely tight joint at this place the wearing plates 15 which rest upon rollers 13 may be made somewhat wedge shaped, or having inclined lower faces, as shown at 37, Fig. 8, so that as the door is pulled outwardly in the final closing move mentits inner edge is lifted into tight engagement with the lower edge of the door opening flange. The operation of the door mechanism is as follows: When the door is open the parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 6, with suspended on the rollers 13, and the outer edge suspended by the chains 18. The rotation of shaft 17 in the direction of the arrow causes the chain to be wound up on spool 19, thereby lifting the outer edge of the door, said door swinging on the rollers 13 practically as on a pivot. As the door approaches the horizontal position the tension of the chain moves the door bodily inwardly, that is, toward the center line of the car, to somewhat the position shown in Fig. 5, said door roll ing with very little friction On the rollers 13. The gears 26 then engage with the rack segments 27, completing the inward movement of the door, if necessary, and lifting the outer cage of the door still-higher, and, finally through the interengaging teeth, drawing the door bodily outwardly, until it is completely closed or brought to the position shown in Fig. 4. During the latter part of the m ment the chains become somewhat slack, due to the lesser diameter of the pitch line of spool 19 as compared with the pitch line of the gears 26. The winding shaft is then looked against accidental rotation and the doors are supported in closed position by the rollers 13 and shaft 17, en tirely relieving the chains from strain, To open the door the shaft 17 is released and edge the reverse arrangement may be shaft.

' doors rotated slightly in the backward direction. This causes the door 11' to be pushed bodily toward the center line 01"- the car, but since the actual point of support ol. the door is not directly above the center oi. the shaft the Weight on the door acting on this short lever 1 arm assists in causing the shaft 17 to rotate, so that very little power is required to oven come the friction of the load on the door. As soon as the door has reached the position shown in Fig. 5 it will drop by gravity to 1111 open position.

i T e door mechanism described comprises a minimum number of parts and is therefore economical of construction and application. All parts are of simple construction and derangement is therefore practically impossible. The door is positively locked in closed position so that there is no danger of accidental discharge of-the load on account of failure of the Winding chains or their connections. All of the operating mechanism. is located Within the outer laces-of the car sides and is therefore protected from injury and also permits a maximum Width of car body.

While the drawings illustrate only a single door, it will be understood that any numberof doors may be operated from the same These doors may be arranged for practically the entire length or the car, or any other desired amount of door opening may be provided.

While the invention has been shown ap plied to horizontal doors mounted to swing ,'on an axis extending longitudinally oi? the car it is apparent that the same arrange ment can be used with inclined doors, or

mounted to swing on an axis extending transversely of the car, the lifting shaft in the latter case also extending transversely of the car. instead of having the door arranged to swing downwardly at its outer used to provide a center discharge openine'. Fur thermore, While the door is shown as supported by gears on a Winding shaft, it may be supported by any suitable stationary support, such as a bracket or brackets secured to the car body.

What I claim is:

1. Car door mechanism comprising in combination with a door, a rolling support for one edge of the door, a lifting shaft, and connections therefrom to the opposite or of the door and arranged at the end ol the closing movement to move said door bodily to bring its free edge over a support adjacent the door opening.

2. Car door mechanism comprising in combination with a door, roll ng support for one edge of the door, a. lifting shaft, flexible connections therefrom to the door, and inter-engaging rack and gear connections between the shaft and door and arranged on the closing movement oi? the door to move said door bodily to bring its tree edge over a support adjacent thedoor opeu 3. Car door mechanism comprising in combination With a door, a rollino, support for one edge of the door, a Winding shaft, flexible connections therefrom tothe door, a toothed segment on the door, and a gear on the shaft arranged to enga saidtoothed segment at the end of the closing inbrvement and move the door bodily, i

l. Car door mechanism comprising in combination with a swinging bodily mor able door, a Winding shait, flexible connec tions therefrom to the door, and independ ent moans actuated from said shaft for moving; and supporting the door in closed. position from the shaft, said parts being ar ranged to cause the flexible connections to become slack when the door is tully closed,

Car door mechanism comprising; in conibination with a swinging bodily mor able door, a lifting shalt, a spool or drum. thereon, a chain connecting the same with the door, 'ear on the shaft, and a rash (if member on the door arranged to be cu'lgag l by said gear on the final closing move of the door and move the same to suppo said door on the shaft, the pitch line or a drum being less than the pitch line of said gear, whereby the chain becomes slack when the door is fully closed.

6. Car door mechanism comprising in combination with a swinging bodily mot-- able door, a lifting shaft, flexible connections therefrom to the door, a gear on said shaft, and a segmental toothed member on the door arranged to be engaged by "d gear on the final closing mbvement Witnesses:

F. W. Wm'ran, Jae. l4. Watson,

oil the vertical line through Sit 

